Zophim

As I see it, the original vision of 0 AD was to create a gameplay setting in which the ancient civilizations of a certain timeframe could all fight it out. Even if historically some of them never crossed paths, the fun was in seeing what the result might be if you took two or more civs, as-is, and pitted them against one another. From the beginning, historical accuracy was paramount, except insofar as the mechanics of gameplay demanded. https://trac.wildfiregames.com/wiki/0AD_The_Vision “It is a moment in time that never was. It is the spring of the world, and the dawn of history. It is a glimpse into an era when the empires of the world are at their zenith. It is but a breath of an age when mighty rulers wield rods of iron and brazen swords; to demonstrate that they are indeed the greatest ancient civilisation!” Now, no one’s denying that women served in leadership capacities or even in specific elite unit roles every so often, but I take issue with any proposed altering of the nearly-universally-male composition of 0 AD’s fighting forces to give the impression that the duly constituted armies of the Greco-Roman cultures and of their enemies contained a significant obviously-female rank-and-file presence. I fail to see any compelling reason, gameplay-based or otherwise, why such an ahistorical change is necessary, and the development team would need to see some reliable sources before they consider taking such a drastic step.

@Hidan@Lion.Kanzen I think a double cornucopia would work as the emblem.

I do have some ideas for this faction: Civ Emblem: Menorah Hero Units: Judah Maccabee (led the revolt against Seleucid rule), Simon Thassi (a younger brother of Judah; established Hasmonean independence), Salome Alexandra (a wise and skillful ruler; last ruling queen of Judaea) Wonder: Second Temple of Jerusalem (before Herod the Great's refurbishing) Military: The majority of fighters in the initial revolt would have been irregular light infantry such as slingers. Later on, as Maccabean forces grew in size, discipline, training, and equipment standardization, a typical soldier would have been armed and equipped along Hellenistic lines as a thureophoros type. It's possible that phalanx spearmen were also present. Cavalry, too, were used: light bow-and-javelin horsemen as well as heavier armoured Hellenistic spear cavalry. Judah Maccabee is described as wearing a corslet, and wielding the captured sword of Apollonius, governor of Samaria.

@Lion.Kanzen Hello! It's been a while! I like this Maccabaean Judaean idea.

Welcome! The Hebrews are definitely planned, probably encompassing the United Monarchy era (Saul, David, Solomon).

@ThuleDragon Welcome to the fora! The Hebrews are indeed planned for the Aristeia mod, but progress is slow, so patience is key.

Well, as things stand now, the timespan of Aristeia will no longer be divided up into several sections. So for example, there will now just be The Egyptians, instead of Old Kingdom, New Kingdom, etc. I haven't decided what to do about the Lydians, though.

You're welcome! The plan at the moment is for the Israelites to be represented by a single faction called the Hebrews; the timeframe will mainly cover the United Monarchy period, so yes, King David is a planned hero. If a second Hebrew-related faction were depicted, it would cover the northern kingdom of Israel from the Divided era.

As far as a Maccabean unit roster, this link is somewhat useful.

Hi all, I'm reporting in to say that, regretfully, I will be unable to do much further with the mod for at least three months or so, since I have taken on some full-time obligations in my life. Thanks to everyone for their continued support! Any and all able and willing contributors to the Aristeia mod are welcome. Specifically, any sources/materials pertaining to Egyptian, Hebrew, Assyrian, or Mycenaean civilizations would be much appreciated. Thanks!

I actually liked Delenda Est! It seemed to me that the level of added detail and complexity to the vanilla civs, as well as the brand-new civs he created, showed that @wowgetoffyourcellphone had really done his research.

@Tomcelmare Inspiration is part of the equation, but time is another huge one. I myself must find time where I can in order to make progress on Aristeia.

@LordGood You and your work are truly inspiring!

Hello, everyone! Aristeia Bronziron is compatible with Alpha 22: Venustas. If you have not already done so, you will need to download the latest version of the game onto your machine in order to run the Aristeia mod on it. The Aristeia mod is available from Github. Four civilizations are playable at the moment. They are the Egyptians, the Judahites, the Assyrians, and the Archaic Greeks. The Egyptians are the most complete faction, but they are still a work-in-progress. The other three factions are placeholder civs for gaming purposes, mainly using units and structures from the 0 AD scenario editor atlas. Here is a tentative design document for the final revision of the Egyptian civ. Egyptian_Design_Document.pdf Next, some concept art! Below is a revised Egyptian civilization emblem, the Eye of Horus. It was a sacred symbol throughout ancient Egyptian history, and represented health and protection. The background shield color yellow/gold represents an eternal or imperishable quality, often associated with the sun, and the eye's blue color represents creation or rebirth, often associated with the sky or water. Below is a representation of a (conventional) Middle Kingdom spearman, with variations of bulls' hide shield covers. The appearance of this unit and his equipment is based on the Cairo Museum's wooden soldier models from the tomb of Mesehti, an 11th dynasty official.

After a lengthy deliberation, for which we sincerely apologize to our loyal fans, we on the Aristeia mod design team have arrived at a clearer vision for making a way forward. No more the divisions of time and space, no more the fractured kingdoms and petty city-states of the threefold separation previously envisioned. Rather, four powers of the ancient world, spanning over a thousand years of history, will be depicted in a mighty struggle for supremacy. The earth of Mesopotamia trembles beneath the mighty hosts of Assyria’s great kings. From Egypt, by land and sea, pours forth a multitude of the Pharaoh’s followers, devotees of his Majesty. The waters of the Aegean are blackened by the ships of Mycenae, bent on revenge and plunder. The Hebrew monarchs, beset by foes on all sides, fortify their fenced cities and arm their people as if for an agelong war. The battle of Nations draws nigh. Stay tuned for further developments!